Traveling to the Boss Room after filling up his potions at the Healing Well, Michael grimaced at the idea of dealing with a possible Blood Mage Boss.
"That's usually the case... Hope I'm wrong this time around."
Descending the stairs into the ancient tomb, Michael looked around and tried to memorize the terrain quickly.
[ Resurrected Malice (Boss) - Level 45 ]
The Boss wasn't a Blood Mage but rather a strange type of Wraith. It summoned other Wratful Phantoms, attacked with some sort of homing ghostly bullets, and every once in a while when he and his minions got too up close and personal, it would create a forcefield around itself, pushing everyone else away. Violently.
Fortunately, it didn't move around as much as a normal Wraith did, so he was able to clean it pretty fast. The shield came in handy when dealing with the ghostly bullets, but his left hand was very sore as a result.
"Well... I leveled up and got a Legendary shield in the process. Furthermore, its Aspect is rather tempting... I'll need to go back and check with Deyman and see which one of the two can be placed on rings. That way, I can keep both."
[ Bonescale Shield of Occult Dominion
Legendary Shield
475 Item Power
-----------------
356 Armor (+43 when compared with the currently equipped item)
* 53% Blocked Damage Reduction
* 20% Block Chance
* + 80% Main Hand Weapon Damage
* + 91 Thorns
------------------
* +4.8% Basic Attack Speed
* +10 Life on Kill
* +7.0% Damage Reduction from Distant Enemies
* +7.5% Barrier Generation
Legendary Aspect: Your maximum number of Skeletal Mages is increased by 2. (Necromancer only)
Empty Socket ]
It was a tough call to make, so Michael decided to wait until he returned to Kyovashad. He would either wait for Helen to return and get her input or see if Deyman had any good ideas.
Checking his inventory and seeing it almost filled with Rare items, the Necromancer returned to Menestad and salvaged all of them.
The result were 27 Iron Chunks, 6 Silver Ores, 13 Rawhides, 2 Superior Leathers, and 11 Veiled Crystals.
As for the Legendary items, he didn't touch them for now.
'My experience bar keeps scaring me. I don't know what should surprise me more: the fact that I need 225,600 experience for the next level, or the fact that I somehow get all those points in a single Dungeon...'
At a loss for words, Michael resummoned his horse and made his way to the second and probably last Dungeon of the day: Kor Dragan Barracks.
According to the intel, this one should also be another undead festering hotspot, though he didn't know exactly if there would be the Skeleton or the Phantom type.
Apparently, the Dungeon alternates between the two of them.
Half an hour later, he was in front of the entrance.
'Judging by the monsters I saw nearby, I'd say it will be Skeletons this time. Also... this place looks very much like the Light's Watch. From both the outside and probably inside... such low creativity...'
As it turned out, once inside, he confirmed his previous train of thought. Shrugging, he waited for the system to declare the Quest.
[ Dungeon Quest issued - Kor Dragan Barracks
Objective: Activate the Gate Control (0/2) ]
Without wasting more time, he advanced carefully, waiting to confirm the monster type he would have to deal with.
Fortunately, there were plenty of Skeletons to deal with. Unfortunately, Revenants, Blood Mages, and Vampire Bats were also added in the mix.
Also, the Dungeon's layout, or rather the Kor Dragan Barracks, was only slightly similar to Light's Watch, but once inside, it was much more complicated.
The first difficult enemy came in the form of a Unique Elite.
[ Julek, Herald of Woe (Elite) - Level 46
*Vampiric: Each successful hit on an enemy heals you for 55% of the damage dealt.
*Supressor: Create a seven-meter range force field that blocks the use of spells and prevents ranged attacks. ]
The Cold Mages became utterly useless, and Michael had to fend off the overhead swings of the Revenant Elite with his shield. Given no other options, he activated Bone Storm around him and his Golem, and they both tried grinding down Julek.
This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.
A small problem cropped up when the suppression area included his Bone Storm Ultimate as a target, rendering it useless.
Countless Reaps and Corpse Explosions later, the damned monster finally fell, and a Bloodied Note (Quest Item) dropped.
[ Side Quest issued - Forgive me
Objective: Find Roza and deliver the Bloodied Note.
Description: You found a bloodied note addressed to Roza of Menestad. If you can find her, you should deliver it. ]
Seeing the new Side Quest added to his interface, Michael was temporarily stunned. He expected another one of those strange pages mentioning the abhorrent way the church treated people.
"Just my personal bias, it seems... I'll check back with the Inn host in Menestad to see who this Roza might be. If she's alive, I'll deliver the note."
The Necromancer found the first Gate Control after more than forty minutes of walking around the corridors of the barracks and killing sparse monsters.
It was a chain wrapped around a log with a lever on the side. Judging from how things usually worked, he needed to wind it up, and it would probably lift a lock or something from the big-ass door he saw previously.
After touching the lever, though, the chain unwound at a fast speed and disappeared somewhere through the ceiling, stunning Michael into place.
"Well... there goes that assumption."
If the first Gate Control on the left side of the doors was guarded by two Revenants, the one on the right had two Blood Mages.
Chasing them around really got on Michael's nerves, so he had his minions deal with them. There was no training to be had if the enemies kept running like headless chickens and attacked whenever they remembered they had to.
[ Dungeon Quest update - Kor Dragan Barracks
Objective: Travel to the Exsanguination Cantonment. ]
Wincing at the name, Michael returned to the gate and traveled further deeper into the barracks through what the Sanctuary named Quietus Gallery.
Taking a ladder to a lower level, Michael reached a slightly vast space, which turned out to be another Trap Room. Droves of Ghouls, Revenants, Vampire Bats, and Blood Mages were summoned, alongside five Elites.
Directly activating his Bone Storm and using the taunt on his Golem, Michael used everything he had to clear the room without taking too much damage.
Once the Corpses piled up sufficiently, every creature was blown up to the High Heavens. Cleaning up bits of rotten flesh on your face wasn't as pleasant, though.
A Conduit Shrine allowed him to turn into lightning again, but it proved to also be a Cursed Shrine Event, which he easily cleared because he could one-shot monsters now that he was in that state.
[ New Achievement unlocked - World Event Newbie
Description: Complete 25 Events with Mastery.
Reward 1: Rune Coat (Rare Chest Armor)
Reward 2: Eventfully Busy (Title). ]
[ Eventfully Busy - Equip this title to gain +20% duration to all Shrine of Inarius effects.
*Can equip up to a maximum of two titles at a time. ]
The item was meh, and the title was trash. Michael ignored both and continued wreaking havoc in the Dungeon.
[ Dungeon Quest update - Kor Dragan Barracks
Objective: Destroy the Blood Boils (0/5). ]
"...well, doesn't that sound lovely..."
Annoyed at being turned into the janitor of this Dungeon, Michael vented on all creatures that crossed his path. To blow off steam, he even had his Golem hold a Blood Mage still while he slapped the creatures left and right.
It was pretty fun until the bastard decided to almost bite one of his fingers off. Drinking a Health Potion after killing it, Michael watched worriedly as the almost severed finger recovered.
"I'm starting to lose it at this rate... let's finish this and get the hell out of here. I need to reach Level 50 faster so I can part with the girls. Better company helps my mental sanity recover. *Sigh* Unfortunately, before I can party with the big sisters, I must get to at least 70-75. Not to mention Helen and Aylin, who are even higher..."
As their names implied, the Blood Boils were literal big balls of blood. Once attacked, droves of Ghouls and Vampire Bats charged at the Necromancer, and once the boil was destroyed, a Unique Elite stepped up to the plate.
[ Neculai Shivermaw (Elite) - Level 46
*Frozen: All attacks deal an extra 150 Cold damage.
*Cold Enchanted: Summons three balls of frost. Upon explosion, they freeze and deal 400 fixed damage in a five-meter radius. ]
As it was yet another Blood Mage, Michael had to spend almost 20 minutes killing it. Overall, he had spent more time today in this damned Dungeon than he spent in all other three yesterday.
The second Blood Boil was much worse, as four different Unique Elites joined hands to deal with the poor Necromancer, the only one which he remembered was Viscount Kathia, as it was another goddamn Blood Mage.
After almost thirty minutes of dragging out the fight, he looted only two Rare item boxes and a Journal Page.
[Mother told me not to go, but the Cathedral refused to tell us anything about Father. What I found was much worse than I expected. The Knights Penitent are either dead or roaming the halls as monstrosities. I watched them for days until I found one that had my father's limp.
I approached and pleaded with him to come home. The creature that had been my father attacked me, and I stabbed him to escape. I couldn't see anything left of my father in the monster's eyes, only pain and rage. Mother was right... I never should have come here.]
Scratching his head at the dark journal page, Michael continued his mission of clearing Blood Boils as he only had three left.
The third one only had a single Elite guarding it, but it was yet another damned Blood Mage, further annoying him. It felt as if the Dungeon was fucking with him, sending his nerves over the edge.
[ Vladimir Iceblade (Elite) - Level 46
*Cold Enchanted: Summons three balls of frost. Upon explosion, they freeze and deal 400 fixed damage in a five-meter radius. ]
The fourth Blood Boil also had an Elite guarding it... you guessed it! Another damned Blood Mage!
[ Karpov Festerpool (Elite) - Level 46
*Poison Enchanted: All attacks create a poison puddle on the ground. Enemies affected by poison are dealt 250 damage per second for a duration of 5 seconds. ]
With the fifth and final Blood Boil, Michael killed the last Blood Mage he hoped to see for the following year, and with it, the Dungeon was cleared.
[ Damian Thundera (Elite) - Level 46
*Teleporter: Teleport randomly in a 10-meter radius range to avoid taking damage. ]
Annoyingly enough, his experience stopped at 223,152/225,600.
There was still one corner of the MAP he didn't go to, as he saw a soul standing stupidly in the middle of the room. He knew it was another Ravenous Soul Event, but he wanted to avoid it initially due to wanting to get out.
Now that he was this close to Level 42, though...
"Argh! Screw it! Let's bet on the Side Quest giving me enough XP to level up. I'll just go back to Menestad."
Running away without looking back, Michael got up on his mount and returned to the city.
There, he went straight to the Inn, where he asked Kresnin about a Roza. He found out the location of her house and heard about Julek, her missing husband.
When he reached where he was directed, he found her asking passing Wanderers about her husband; he wasn't an exception.
[You there! Have you seen a man named Julek!?](Roza)
"...I am afraid so. I found this note from a man named... Julek."
Handing the note to the woman, he watched as her face changed multiple colors in the span of less than fifteen seconds.
[What... How can this be... Where did you get this!?](Roza)
"A dangerous place. I'm sorry..."
[I must go after him! Julek, my love, I'll find you! I swear it! Please! Tell me where I can find him.](Roza)
Seeing the woman turn crazed with pain and shake him by his clothes, Michael sighed and allowed her to express her pain however she could.
[Please! Tell me...](Roza)
"I'm sorry. I refuse."
[Why!? WHY!?](Roza)
"I don't want to send you to your death also."
Hearing the implied meaning behind the Necromancer's words, the woman fell to the ground weakly and sobbed quietly.
[ Side Quest complete - Forgive Me
Reward 1: 13,084 experience points
Reward 2: 2,100 gold coins
Reward 3: Herb Cache. ]
[No... Julek my love...](Roza)
"*Sigh* I am sorry for your loss. What will you do now, Ms. Roza? Please don't go outside the city walls. Your loved one wouldn't want to see you gone."
[Does your cruelty know no limits!? Leave me be!](Roza)
The passing Wanderers shook their heads and patted Michael's shoulder in an attempt to comfort him.
Being the herald of bad news was never pleasant.